Contrary to fathers' rights propaganda, father perpetrators (along with stepdads and caretaker boyfrends) dominate the most vicious crimes against children: sexual assault, abusive head trauma, murder-suicides, crimes involving gun violence, and other similar forms of physically violent/fatal child abuse. And as more dads are providing child care (either because mom is working and can't find other care, or because dads are increasingly getting unsupervised visitation/custody through the family courts), more dads are are being found guilty of basic child abuse and neglect as well.

10/25/15 -Because of severe time constraints, we are no longer able to do regular updates at Dastardly Dads. We will occasionally post articles on general studies on child abuse/domestic violence, news pieces involving abusive fathers in custody/visitation situations. We wil also be updating the Killer Dads and Custody lists, while looking for a better, more accessible platform for the data.

7/11/16 - We started this blog on June 24, 2009--just over seven years. And like all good things, it's time to bring this project to a close. It has served its purpose. We have close to 10,500 postings regarding fathers and child abuse, with hundred of those cases being enabled by the family courts, social services, and others in authority. The documentation is clear. It is now time to stop documenting and put that energy into changing the situation that puts thousands of mothers and children at risk every day.

The General Court has sentenced a father and his second wife each to 15 years in prison and 1,500 lashes for abusing a child so much that he died, Al-Hayat reported.

A medical report showed the child died as a result of torture all over his body around two years ago.

The defendants told the court the child tripped and fell several times and tried to hang himself with a piece of cloth to imitate some cartoons he had seen on television.

They said they had to tie him up every night on the recommendation of a well-known sheikh because the child kept opening their apartment door to strangers at night.

Omar Jabawi and Rola Abu Shalhoob were arrested over two years ago in Riyadh following the medical report that put the causes of the child's death to bruises and contusions in the neck, face, chest, left shoulder, thighs, knees and left cheek.

The doctor said some of the injuries the child sustained were a few days old while some were older.

The main causes of his death were severe head traumas and contusions. Another report by the hospital proved the child sustained all these injuries because of torture.

Neighbors testified before the court that they heard the child crying many nights every night after 10 p.m.

The judge did not hand down a death sentence because there were insufficient conditions for such a verdict.

The child's biological mother, who was divorced and is Syrian, said her child moved in with his father seven months before his death and that she only saw him twice although she did not have a custody child certificate.
"My ex-husband and his second wife tortured my child and didn't let me see him," she said.

Fahd Al-Rokban, who taught the child at elementary school, said Abdullah's performance deteriorated after he moved with his father.

When asked why the school failed to spot the torture marks on Abdullah's body, he said most student counselors at schools are engaged in administrative work and do not perform any counseling duties.